INSTITUTO DE BIOCINCIAS, LETRAS E CINCIAS EXATAS CMPUS DE SO JOS DO RIO PRETO PROGRAMA DE PS-GRADUAO EM ESTUDOS LINGSTICOS

PROVA DE PROFICINCIA EM LNGUA INGLESA

Instrues: Responda em portugus, na folha de respostas, a cinco das sete questes abaixo sobre o texto introdutrio do livro LANGUAGE AS DISCOURSE: PERSPECTIVES FOR LANGUAGE TEACHING, de Michael McCarthy e Ronald Carter. Evite responder s questes apenas citando partes do texto ou traduzindo-as. permitida a utilizao de um dicionrio impresso durante a prova. Enumere, na folha de respostas, as questes respondidas.

Questes: 1- Que pressupostos so desafiados pelos autores ao longo do livro que apresentam? 2- Quais so os objetivos do livro apresentado? 3- Como os autores caracterizam os estudos descritivos das propriedades discursivas da lngua e como esses estudos se contrastam com os estudos da gramtica, do vocabulrio e da fontica? 4- Como os ltimos estudos da gramtica, do vocabulrio e da fontica tm influenciado as prticas do professor de lnguas? 5- Segundo os autores, que contribuies o foco no texto e no discurso pode trazer para o ensino da gramtica? 6- Ao trabalharem a questo das variedades textuais no livro apresentado, que tipos de texto so abordados e quais as conseqncias da seleo realizada? 7- Como os autores caracterizam o livro que apresentam e o que esperam atingir com ele?

McCARTHY, M. & CARTER, R. Language as Discourse: Perspectives for Language Teaching. Longman: London & New York, 1994, p. xi xiii.

Introduction
This book focuses on a description of the discourse properties of language and on the relevance of such description for language teaching. In the book we challenge some prevailing assumptions. One main assumption that we cha1lenge is that English language teachers already know enough about the language. It is often said that such teachers are surrounded by an array of well-researched and thoroughly tested grammars and dictionaries which provide extensive coverage, and that learning more about the language need not something to consume too much of their valuable time. Instead, it is also often said, their main concern should with how to teach the language more effectively. We challenge, this main assumption that methodology is all. Another assumption that we challenge is that there are discontinuities between first and second language learning. We prefer to underline the continuities and connections and argue that our discourse-based approach to language learning and teaching applies to both L1 and L2. Since the early 1970s there has been a rapid expansion of descriptive work on discourse properties of language. In their own way each of the disciplines of discourse analysis, pragmatics and text linguistics has explored how language is used across stretches of language. This has frequently involved examining language in naturally occurring contexts, both spoken and written, and has sometimes involved the study of complete texts. Such an orientation contrasts with dominant paradigms for the description of, for example, grammar, vocabulary and the sound system of English, which have tended to concentrate on decontextualized units of language. Thus, grammar is studied in relation to sentences which are often made up by the analyst or taken from unrepresentative contexts. The practice is useful, of course, for illustrative and analytical purposes. It has certainly influenced language teaching in that the emphasis in many language course books is on single sentences or minimal units of language and on practising forms of language within such a framework. One of the main aims of this book is to examine what insights from language study at the level of discourse have to offer to the language teacher and student. Given that most real language use involves the production and reception of connected stretches of spoken and written language, we assert that this kind of description is of considerable potential value. Indeed, we go further and assert that the functions of language are often best understood in a discourse environment and that exploring language in context forces us to revise some commonly held understandings about the forms and meanings of language. In the case of grammar, in particular, the focus on text and discourse can help us to notice and analyse aspects of usage which have previously gone unnoticed and untaught. One connected argument here is that the better a text analyst the teacher can be, the better equipped - all other things being equal - his or her students are likely to be in using the language appropriately. Paradoxically, in our view, some versions of communicative language teaching give insufficient attention to the actual processes of communication. For this reason in this book we normally cite only examples of real language use in a variety of naturally occurring contexts and we devote a lot of space to exploring the

centrality of language to the construction of meaning in such contexts. One particular aspect of language use we explore in some detail is the way in which meanings are not wholly stable, that they vary according to the context, purpose and audience for the communication and that the same forms of language can have different meanings in different contexts. We place great stress on the interpersonal, variational and negotiable aspects of language in contrast to conventional concerns with more ideational, content-based and stable relations between forms and meanings. We consider the implications for language teaching of such an approach. In our emphasis on language variety we do not privilege any particular texts and set up no hierarchy of values. All naturally occurring texts are of equal value. We argue for the value of literary texts in language development but argue at the same time that certain aspects of literary discourse may be both best illuminated and taught by a consideration of what are conventionally regarded as non-literary texts. The focus we provide on the continuum from non-literary to literary texts also enables us to give attention to other relatively neglected areas of language study and teaching: the role of aspects of culture and cultural presuppositions in language description and teaching and the relationship between language and ideology. Once again our argument is that the relevant issues at the interface of literature, ideology, culture and language teaching can be best located by concentrating on the discourse properties of language in a variety of texts. Our emphasis on the relevance for learners of increased learning about language is part of the same process of integrating a study of text and discourse with an increased competence in using the language communicatively. The subtitle to this book is deliberately chosen. The book is not a survey. The field of discourse analysis now offers a number of fine introductions which layout the main issues, review work in the field and discuss applications (eg Brown and Yule 1983; Stubbs 1983; Coulthard 1985; Cook 1989; McCarthy 1991; Hatch 1992). We therefore make no claim to complete coverage of all the potentially relevant aspects of discoursal and textual organization. For example, we have little to say about discourse-based aspects of phonology and intonation. We have little to say about discourse as a cognitive process, although we do explore some conditions for the production and interpretation of text as a socio-cognitive process. We could have more to say about theories of learning. We do not cover in detail areas of discourse description covered in other books. Though we do not neglect methodology, we also recognize that more space could be devoted to methodology. Our purpose, however, is to offer perspectives. We do so in places in a quite provocative way. The book is sometimes polemical and programmatic. We hope to open up debate, to raise issues and to question some current practices - even if in places this means that we have to argue against the grain of some current language teaching orthodoxies. In so "doing, we can try only to make our arguments sufficiently precise and explicit in order to allow readers to engage with them and can finally say that we welcome argued responses to the positions adopted in the book.

Michael McCarthy Ronald Carter

Notthingham